Target.



PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908. G.E.HOUGK.

TARGET.

APiLIOATION FIL'ED OUT. 6, 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS ca, wnsmmnnu, n. c.

- PATEN'I'ED JUNE 9, 1908. G. E. HOUGK.

TARGET. ArPLwLTIoN FILED 001'. s, 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses:

THE mum PEYERS ca, wnsnmarmv, n. c.

m PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908.

G.E.HOUGK. TARGET. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 8', 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

02:3 mDOI mum M22 \Jilnsss [nvenl of AU. orne ms mum's PETERS co, wasumaruN, n, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT orruon.

GEORGE E. I-IOUOK, OF ROSEBURG, OREGON.

TARGET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Application filed October 8, 1906. Serial No. 338,038.

tice where the marksman can be allowed but a limited distance from the objective yet which is so arranged as to have all the difliculties incident to full range shooting. This object I accomplish by means of the details of construction fully described hereinafter cators for showing the direction and velocity -of the wind and the spotter target in place, I -Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view on the line aca: of Fig. 1, Fig. 3, a front view partly broken away showing the disappearing target in positionfor rapid fire work, Fig. 4, a sectional view of Fig. 3, Fig. 5, a front view showing thetarget set for skirmish shooting, and Figs. 6, 7 and 8 views of the wind charts.

In the drawings similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The various parts of my improved target apparatus may be packed and shipped in a cabinet 1 having the lower portion of its front closed by a panel 2 while the upper portion has two doors 3 and 4 admitting to the interior of-the cabinet. A drawer 5 is provided in the lower portion of the cabinet to receive the spent projectiles.

Cleats 6 are secured across the ends of the cabinet on the level of the bottoms of doors 3 and 4 and vertical strips 7 and 8 secured to said ends ofthe cabinet above cleats 6, the strips 7 being against the back of the cabinet and extending to its top while strips 8 are spaced apart from strips 7 the width of backmg 9 made of pieces of soft wood the upper ends of the strip 8 being cut off so that the pieces of backing 9 may be removed when new pieces are to be inserted. The back of cabinet 1 is covered by a plate of steel 10 to stop the projectiles from whence they drop down through the space between plate 10 and backing 9 to drawer 5.

If desired the inside of the top and sides and the back above the plate of steel 10 may be lined with sheet metal to protect the wood from spattering lead, it, however, being thought to be unnecessary to illustrate this feature. v

11 and 12 indicate wires or rods secured across the cabinet, a curtain being hung on the Wire or rod 11, towards the front, to

' cover the scoring target 13 secured on wire or rod 12 when the device is being used. In Fig. 1 the object target 14 is shown secured to backing 9, the range being fixed for 1000 yards practice which necessitates placing the scoring target at quite a distance above the object target, so that when the sight on the gun is elevated for the 1000 yards range and the aim is true on the target 14 the projectile will strike the target 13. The distance of the target 13 above the target 14 is fixed by calculation, it being understood that the distance varies for the various ranges and that the size of the targets also vary to represent the varying distance of the target from the marksman.

In addition to the distance of the target the marksman has also to overcome the difficulty incident to the effects of currents of air on the projectile, in open air range shooting and to provide this difficulty in c0nnection with my device I indicate the direction of a wind by means of a dial 15 marked the same as the face of a clock, with a hand 16 to indicate the direction of the wind, and wind flag 17 to indicate the velocity of the wind, the wind flag consisting of a standard 18 on which is pivotally secured a triangular metal plate 19 to represent a pennant having secured thereto a segmental toothed bar 20 adapted to engage a loop 21 secured to a standard 18 to hold the pennant at the angle necessary to indicate the velocity of the hypothetical wind.

In the use of the wind dial or clock the target is supposed to be set at 12 and the marksman at 6 on the dial face, then by moving the hand 16 the direction of the wind may be set wherever desired, it being understood that if at 12 or at 6 the wind gage on the rifle should be set for direct shooting but the sight must be set to overcome the acceleration or retardation of the projectile, as the case may be. If, however, the wind is at either side of the range the wind gage must be set to overcome its effects, the setting of the wind gage being also governed by the velocity of the wind as indicated by the position of the pennant 19 which is set by means of toothed bar 20 and loop 21, so as to simulate a flag or pennant in a breeze.

In order to correctly set the scoring target to allow for the effect of the indicated wind I haveprovided a set of charts to be used for winds from the different points and the velocity as shown by flag 17, one chart being for winds from the directions 1, 5, 7 and 11, another for winds from the directions 2, 4, S

and "10 and-a third for cross range winds or from points 3 and 9, said charts being illus-v trated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 respectively.

In using the wind charts the chart is selected'for the direction of wind indicated and temporarily secured to the backing 9 so that its central line marked 0 is directly over the center of'the object target 14 this being determined accurately by means of a plumbline. On each chart are horizontal lines marked 1000 yds. 800 yds. 600 yds.

and 500 yds. or other selected distances, and above each line a series of short lines or :tickshaving series of numerals in arithmetreal progression beginning wlth 1 on each side of the central line marked 0. These ticks represent miles velocity of the windindicated by the wind flag 17 on each side of the target from the direction indicated by the dial 15. In setting the scoring target the plumbline is held at the tick or line to indicate the miles per hour indicated by the wind flag 17 at the side of the central line 0 from which the wind is indicated by the dial 15. This gives'the distance to the right or the left of the object target to set the scoring'target so that if the wind gage of the marksmans piece is properly adjusted the proj ectile will strike it, the elevation of the scoring target to offset the elevation of the sight get for time or skirmish shooting I use a stand for disappearing targets comprising a base 24 having secured thereto two uprights 25 braced as shown at 26, the uprights being grooved as shown at 27 to receive target frame 28 which is slidably mounted. in said grooved uprights.

29 indicates a cross brace for steadying the upper part of the stand.

30 indicates a spring catch for holding the frame in its uppermost position as shown in full lines in Fig. 4.

31 indicates a rope secured to one side of the cabinet 1, passed around pulley 32, journaled in frame 28 and out through a hole in the other side of the cabinet. 33 indicates another rope secured to spring catch 30 and passed out through another hole in the side of the cabinet.

34 indicates a rubber or other elastic cushion secured to base 24 to break the force of the fall of frame 29.

When the target is used for time or skirmish work the target master will control the length of exposure of the target by operating ropes 31 and 32.

InFig. 5 the target is arranged for skirmish shooting, a curtain 35 being lowered having a field or other scene painted thereon for a background to the target which has diagram figures 36 representing human forms in upright and reclining positions.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. A target stand comprising a cabinet, a removable backing of fibrous material contained in said cabinet and a plate of metal secured to the inner side of the back of the cabinet behind said removable backing spaced apart therefrom, said fibrous material serving to impede the projectile and the plate of metal to stop it so that it falls through the space between the fibrous material and the plate of metal, substantially as shown and described.

2. A target stand comprising a cabinet, strips secured to the inner side of the ends of the cabinet and spaced apart, lengths of timber removably and replaceably inserted. between the spaced apart strips, and a plate of metal secured over the inner side of the back of the cabinet behind said lengths of timber, substantially as shown and described.

3. A target stand comprising a cabinet, a removable backing of fibrous material contained in said cabinet, a plate of metal secured to the inner side of the back of the cabinet behind said removable backing spaced apart therefrom, and a drawer in the lower portion of the cabinet, said fibrous material serving to impede the projectile and the plate of metal to stop it so that it falls through the space between the fibrous material and the plate of metal to the drawer aforesaid, substantially as shown and described.

4. A target stand comprising a cabinet, strips secured to the inner side of the ends of the cabinet and spaced apart, lengths of timber removably and replaceably inserted between the spaced apart strips, a plate of metal secured to the inner side of the back of the cabinet behind said lengths of timber, and a drawer in the lower portion of the cabinet, substantially as shown and de-.

the standard to engage said segment, substantially as shown and described.

6. A target stand comprising a cabinet, a backing contained in said cabinet, an object target in said cabinet, two wires stretched across said cabinet, a scoring target suspended from one of said wires, and a curtain to cover said scoring target suspended from the other Wire, substantially as shown and described.

7. A target stand comprising a cabinet, a backing contained in said cabinet, wires stretched across said cabinet, a scoring target suspended from one of said wires, a curtain suspended from the other wire to cover the scoring target, and a disappearing object target contained in said cabinet and comprising a grooved upright standard, the target frame slidably mounted in said standard, and means to raise and hold said frame in its highest position to expose the target, substantially as shown and described.

8. A target stand comprising a cabinet, a backing contained in said cabinet, wires stretched across said cabinet, a scoring target suspended from one of said wires, a curtain suspended from the other wire to cover the scoring target, and a disappearing object .target contained in said cabinet and comprising a grooved upright standard, the target frame slidably mounted in said standard, a 'pulley journaled in said target frame, a rope secured at one end and engaging said pulley, a spring catch secured to the supporting standard and adapted to engage the target frame when in a raised position, and a rope secured to said spring catch, substantially as shown and described.

9. A target stand comprising a cabinet, a backing contained in said cabinet, wires stretched across said cabinet, a scoring target suspended from one of said wires, a curtain suspended from the other wire to cover the scoring target, and a disappearing object target contained in said cabinet and comprising a grooved upright standard, the target frame slidably mounted in said standard, means to raise and hold said frame in its highest position to expose the target, a wind dial for indicating a hypothetical current of air, a wind flag to indicate the velocity of said hypothetical current of air, and charts to indicate the proper position of the scoring target relative to theobject target, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiiX my signature in the presence of two witnesses. GEORGE E. HOUOK. Witnesses:

DEXTER RICE, FLossIE P. SI-IAMBRo'oK. 

